How du Gardijn achieves 35% year-on-year growth while the insurance market remains stagnant

A conversation with Rowin Du Gardijn, director and owner of Du Gardijn Verzekeringen in Enschede

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Rowin du Gardijn is the director and owner of du Gardijn, an intermediary specializing in commercial property and casualty insurance and income protection insurance. du Gardijn offers insurance products across various sectors and markets and is growing rapidly. Last year, 800 people submitted an online application for absenteeism insurance. This year, Rowin expects 1,600. Three years in a row, 35% growth each year, without acquisitions. Just organic growth.

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And this is despite the fact that, as an intermediary, du Gardijn is dependent on insurer systems over which they have no control.

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How do you do that?

"You don't wait," says Rowin. "You build around the obstacles."

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That is exactly what du Gardijn has done. Automate everything that can be done behind the scenes, and be personal as soon as the customer enters the picture. Combine the best of both worlds: digitalization and personal contact.

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We have a very inefficient chain

A major bottleneck within the insurance chain is the inefficiency caused by the use of different systems by insurers, underwriting agencies, and intermediaries. Each party often works with its own software, processes, and data structures, meaning information cannot always be exchanged automatically. This leads to duplicate work, manual entry, susceptibility to errors, and additional administrative burdens. As a result, employees spend an unnecessary amount of time requesting, checking, and processing data instead of focusing on customer advice and relationship management. Furthermore, it slows down service delivery to customers, as changes, applications, and claims often have to be processed through various channels. Further standardization and better digital connections within the chain are therefore essential to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience.

That sluggishness isn't just in the technology. It's also in the decision-making. "Too many people have to have a say," says Rowin. "It's a bit like Parliament. Everyone has to agree before anything changes."

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Every new application automatically triggers an appointment within two hours

What du Gardijn cannot change at the insurers, they compensate for on their own end. And in that regard, Du Gardijn is surprisingly advanced.

Every new application triggers an immediate confirmation email. A task is automatically created: call the customer within two hours. Via a link in the quote, the customer can immediately schedule a Teams meeting or an in-person appointment. Always. No waiting in queues or back-and-forth emails.

"The technology is there," says Rowin. "And Novulo gives us the freedom to set that up ourselves, without being dependent on a vendor who has to do it for us."

That makes speed possible. Not the speed of the insurer, but the speed of du Gardijn itself. And that speed is exactly what customers want.

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AI handles all the manual work that takes up too much time

Beyond process automation, du Gardijn actively works with AI. Not as a pilot, but as a daily practice.

We use AI to create insurance reports. That saves six to eight working days per report.

A website replica, which previously cost €15,000 in development fees and had a long lead time, was built by the team using AI in 3 hours. A premium savings calculator was built with Claude. Policies are automatically read to generate meeting summaries, ensuring advisors are quickly prepared for appointments.

"We are trying to do more with the same number of people," says Rowin. The result: less time spent on administration, more time for the contact that truly matters.

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No chatbots: every quote includes a direct link to a personal conversation

That freed-up time doesn't go to waste. Rowin is clear about chatbots: he doesn't want them for customer contact. In our advisory profession, it’s all about human connection; that is where we as a firm can make a difference.

The approach du Gardijn pursues: automate as much as possible behind the scenes. And the moment the customer enters the picture, always ensure personal contact. Every quote includes a direct link to a personal appointment.

"Automation relieves our people of administrative tasks. This gives them more time for the contact that truly matters."

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The industry is aging, but few are doing anything about it

The average age in the insurance sector is high. Few young people are entering the field. The number of WFT certifications renewed every 3 years is declining. And the generation currently carrying the workload has largely worked the same way for years.

The average age within the insurance sector has been rising for years. A large portion of the knowledge and experience lies with professionals who have been active in the industry for decades and will be retiring in the coming years. At the same time, relatively few young people are entering the field. For many young people, the insurance world still has a dusty image. We are proud to be one of the youngest insurance firms in the Netherlands and that we train young talent into full-fledged advisors. For instance, 6 of our colleagues have almost completed all their Assurantie A diplomas; we only have Assurantie A Transport left.

"If you don't innovate, insurers will eventually start working directly with the customer. Then you, as an intermediary, could become redundant."

The fact that du Gardijn grows autonomously by 35% year after year is no coincidence. It is the result of three concrete choices: focus, automate what you can control yourself, and be personal where the customer notices it. Those who do this don't have to wait for the market.

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Frequently asked questions about digitalization for insurance intermediaries

Below you will find the most frequently asked questions about digitalization as an insurance intermediary. Is your question not listed? Please contact us. We would be happy to answer it!

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How can an intermediary digitize when the insurer's systems hold them back?

Start with what you can control: your own client process. Automated confirmation emails, task distribution, and booking links in quotes. These are adjustments you can implement yourself, regardless of how the insurer operates. With a platform like Novulo, you can do this without waiting for vendor updates. This allows you to build speed and service that remain independent of external constraints.

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What are the tangible benefits of AI for an intermediary?

At du Gardijn, AI saves each employee six to eight working days per year, simply by automatically generating insurance reports. In addition, they built a premium savings check that automatically calculates how much a lead can save on their absenteeism insurance. The value isn't in flashy applications, but in reclaiming time spent on routine tasks. This gives advisors more time for client interaction.

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When should you use AI for client contact, and when should you avoid it?

It depends on what is at stake. AI works well for information requests and administrative steps. Everything that can happen behind the scenes is automated, while anything involving personal client interaction remains human-led. Intermediaries who invest in speed, personal contact, and their own automation today are building a sustainable future.